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Fantasies of Malory Towers : dismantling the magic Enid Blyton's school stories have held for Singapore schoolgirls
Author
Daljeet Kaur
Supervisor
Gabrielpillai, Matilda
Abstract
The thesis I have chosen to examine in this exercise was born out of a personal love for Enid Blyton's series of school stories about the fictional boarding schools of "St. Clare's" and "Malory Towers". My deep enjoyment of these stories was not unique in that many of my friends were similarly enthralled by them. The following examination hopes to discover whether the great appeal these stories have held for girls growing up in the 1960s through the early 1980s is the result of the lure of the fantasy aspect which children's stories have in general, or whether it is also partly in consequence of the continued influence of Singapore's colonial past. In the first chapter, I have outlined my approach which is based on current studies on the ideology and psychology of literature for children and on theories on the formulation of colonial and post-colonial identities. To support my speculations, I have also gleaned responses from a survey of twenty women, those growing up in the 1960s and early 1980s, who read these books in their childhood. In the second chapter, the key elements of children's literature, namely fantasy and didacticism, are investigated to describe the ways that these stories are appealing to Singaporean girls. In chapter three, I examine the possibility that the appeal has also in some part to do with a desire to 'buy into' Western culture, considered in light of the early colonial administration of Singapore and its ensuing legacies upon the mindset of Singaporean and the repercussions upon Singaporean children. Finally, I suggest that the appeal of these stories not only point to the clear existence of the wish-fulfilling elements in these stories but also that it is modified by the need to seek the English and their Western culture.
Date Issued
2003
Call Number
PN1009 Dal
Date Submitted
2003